Andrea Kimi Antonelli, commonly known by his middle name, Kimi, was born on 26 August 2006 in Bologna, Italy. He joined the Mercedes Junior Programme in April 2019 after achieving various titles and victories in junior karting categories.
In 2019, Kimi won the WSK Euro Series and Super Master Series titles in the OK Junior category. He also finished as the runner-up in the FIA Karting European Championship and secured a fifth-place finish in the FIA Karting World Championship. The following year, he advanced to the OK class, where he claimed the FIA Karting European Championship and the WSK Euro Series titles.
In 2021, Kimi continued competing in various international karting series in the OK class, winning the FIA European Championship again. Later that year, he transitioned to single-seater racing, participating in the final three rounds of the Italian Formula 4 championship with Prema Racing, where he demonstrated impressive pace and earned podium finishes.
Kimi moved up to a full-time seat in Formula 4 in 2022, dominating the ADAC and Italian championships with Prema. In 2023, he advanced to the Formula Regional category, winning the title in the Middle Eastern series and later claiming the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, with five victories.
In 2024, Kimi took the next step in his racing career by moving up to Formula 2 with Prema, competing on the F1 support circuit. He won his first race in F2 at Silverstone in the Sprint Race. Two weeks later, he won again in Hungary, becoming the youngest multiple-winner in series history.
After appearing in Friday’s FP1 for Mercedes at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes announced the following morning that their 2025 driver line-up would see 18-year-old Italian Kimi joining multiple Grand Prix-winner George Russell behind the wheel for the 2025 F1 season. Following in the footsteps of Russell, who advanced to Formula 1 in 2019 after an impressive two-year stint, Kimi moved up from Formula 2 and graduated from the team’s junior programme.
Sources
- Kimi Antonelli: Everything You Need To Know. mercedesamgf1.com
